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Finding Spiritual Joy in Chaotic Times

With Mary Elizabeth Lynch, Mark Thurston & Ilona Marshall

• October 3-5, 2025
• Asilomar Conference Grounds, Monterey Peninsula
800 Asilomar Ave, Pacific Grove, CA 93950

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Sign up prior to July 3rd deadline for the best prices.

Register now! (Print the A.R.E. Asilomar Event Registration Form)
One form per person or family.

Are we in the midst of “earth changes” – not so much geological upheavals but instead the breakdown of the social fabric that we may have taken for granted? There are daily signs of disorder, confusion, and uncertainty all around us. How can someone on a spiritual path navigate these chaotic times?

There are resources and teachings to which we can turn to find guidance and support. The Cayce readings are among them, and all these teachings point toward the need to reclaim what is most essential about ourselves – our own “soulfulness.” Consider that the times in which the Cayce Readings were given had its own uncertainty and chaos, including the economic confusion of the Depression Era, and the horrors of a world war. Often Cayce’s counsel and advice provided a formula for retrieving something precious but forgotten in times of chaos. Those inner steps of transformation can lead to joyful living, even in the midst of uncertainty and disruption.

Our weekend program in the beautiful natural setting of Asilomar will allow you to make an inner shift. The speakers’ presentations and the fellowship of our group will support you to reconnect with your center in the midst of deeply challenging times. It will provide you with tools to reclaim a positive outlook about what we are all going through together.

Dreams: Gateway to Self-Understanding and Success

Write down a dream to bring to the workshop.
In this workshop:

• Discover the significance of your dreams.
• Learn how they are reflections of your life and consciousness.
• Find out if your dreams are about past or future events.
• Use your dreams to verify choices or make decisions.
• Learn proven techniques of dream interpretation.
• Break out into pairs for dream sharing.
• Group sharing and questions.

ASILOMAR CONFERENCE GROUNDS

Asilomar, which means, “refuge by the sea” is located on 105 acres of pine trees and sand dunes near the Pacific Ocean at Asilomar State Beach on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula, Pacific Grove, California.

ROOM & BOARD

1. Sign up for Room and Board by going to the A.R.E. reservation site at https://book.passkey.com/e/51043248
2. Select the type of room:
• Private Room for 1-2 Adults
• Roommate Request-Double
• Roommate Request-Quad
3. Type in the name of your desired roommate when making your payment.

You must make a separate reservation and payment for each person.
NOTE: Room reservations are separate from tuition registration. Telephone reservations are not accepted.

Meals begin with dinner on the first day and end with lunch on the last day. Check in is at 4 pm. Check out 11am. Rooms are assigned on a first come first served basis.

Room & board rates at Asilomar for October 3-5, 2025:

• Single Occupancy $654.56
• Double Occupancy $436.02 per person

What to Bring

Fall at Asilomar can bring all kinds of weather. Bring comfortable clothing, a jacket (or raincoat) in case of chilly evenings, and walking shoes. And do plan to enjoy the beach!

Off-grounds Participation

In addition to tuition fees, an off-grounds fee of $12.00 per day (or $24.00 for the entire conference) will be collected by the Area team from those living off grounds and attending the conference.

Donations to the Scholarship Fund

A scholarship fund based on donations enables the Area to offer limited scholarships to those needing financial aid.
For information, contact the Registrar. You are invited to donate to this fund and all donations are tax deductible.

Bookstore

A small selection of books by Mark Thurston and other authors will be available for purchase. Proceeds support the local Area Team of Northern California.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations received by October 2, 2025, will be refunded by Asilomar Conference Grounds, less a $100 per person fee to cover the cost of processing and handling. Asilomar Conference Grounds requires full payment for rooms cancelled on or after October 3.
Tuition refunds are available from A.R.E. less a $25 processing fee.

Schedule

Each morning before breakfast, there will be exercises at 7:00 am and a meditation at 7:30 am, which everyone is welcome to attend.

Note: Schedule subject to change.

MARY ELIZABETH LYNCH is a retired attorney and mediator, who is currently an educator in the field of spirituality, peace advocacy, and integrative health. She is president and senior course leader for the non-profit educational organization, the Personal Transformation and Courage Institute – which is collaborating with the Cayce organizations in the creation of the new Tarsia Center for Inner Transformation and Healing. Mary Elizabeth is a life member of A.R.E. and has been a student of the Cayce material since 1976. She is widely experienced as an educator, having taught college level philosophy courses, graduate courses for Atlantic University, and she is currently an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University, where she teaches the course “Self-Care and Well-Being for Helping Professionals.”

MARK THURSTON is a psychologist, author, and educator who was a staff member at A.R.E. and Atlantic University from 1973 through 2008. For the last 17 years he has worked at George Mason University in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington D.C., where he is an associate professor, teaching academic courses about the science of well-being, resilience, and mindfulness. Mark is the author of a dozen books about consciousness, mind-body health, and personal spirituality. From 2019 until June 2025, he served as a member of A.R.E. and Atlantic University’s Board of Trustees. Mark and his wife of 45 years Mary Elizabeth Lynch are cofounders and course leaders of the Personal Transformation and Courage Institute.

Dream Consultant ILONA MARSHALL is an experienced Cayce-based dream worker, who has given workshops since 1978 for adults and children, including for the local ARE Region. Ilona has demonstrated how to work with dreams at International Dream Conferences, on radio and television using various techniques. Ilona taught Spanish for 49 years and is currently teaching adults at College of Marin. She teaches dance, choreographs dances and performs. She is an ordained Priestess of Isis. For fifty years she led the evening group dancing at ARE Asilomar conferences. Her next dance performance with the Don’t Quit Your Day Job Dancers will be in September.